Reminiscence
by tsukasayuki
Summary: Trapped in the Realm of Darkness, Aqua reflects back on her fondest memories with Terra and realizes that if only the two of them had confided in one another, their fates may have been different.
1. Chapter 1 - Childhood

****Author's Notes****  
This originally began as a one shot for many memories, but the memories became long and I started creating a theme. So yes, some of it may be slightly inconsistent with the story of Kingdom Hearts, but I kept with it. I wanted to write about Aqua developing into the awesome woman she is, which entails capturing her own inner troubles. Anyway, that's all I have to say on that matter. Enjoy.

* * *

_Remember those days when we were young? The only care we had was to not anger Master. Every day was a new journey, but we knew that it would end okay. Remember our first fight, and I started crying when you accidentally hit me with the wooden keyblade?_

Aqua walked through the dark passages holding her hand close to her chest as she reminisced on her life. The what could have beens. The what was to be. Were Terra and Ventus safe? There was no question about it; she made sure of their safety. While absorbed in her own thoughts, she looked up to the pure darkness that was supposed to be the sky, remembering the first time she sparred with Terra.

* * *

A sunny day, which was the usual atmosphere of The Land of Departure, and Aqua just turned eight with Terra being a nine year old boy. Master Eraqus gave them both a wooden weapon shaped like a keyblade, telling them both to practice hard. "When you reach the age of thirteen, you will be granted the power to wield your very own keyblade. This is what you're studies have been for," Eraqus smiled at the two kids. "And now you are both ready for simulated fighting. I will supervise from up the stairs," Eraqus pointed up above him, "Make sure to remember your studies." Eraqus turned around and walked up the stairs, where he watched the two ready themselves.

"Come on Aqua! First one to three wins gets to be Master for tomorrow!" The young boy was enthused. The young girl readied her grip and stared the boy down.

He charged at her.

Still a little new at practicing, Aqua struggled to hold her wooden blade up, which resulted in her being too slow and Terra's blade hit her right on the shoulder, causing Aqua to fall down. Terra stared wide-eyed at the little girl, whose shoulder started oozing red out. She touched it gently, and then started crying. Terra dropped his keyblade and ran to the girl, not sure what to do.

Her tears wouldn't stop.

"Ah, Aqua, hey, come on. Stop it. It wasn't that hard, right? Please stop crying," he tried to console her, but to no avail.

"Terra, you big meanie!" Aqua sniffled between her tears.

He frowned and wrapped his arms around her, causing the tears to slow. "I- you take that back! I'm not a meanie!" Terra sighed and let go, turning around and motioning for her to climb his back. She stared at him with tear-filled eyes. Terra sighed again and lifted her up on his back to carry her.

"…Maybe not a meanie… but you are a big dummy…" Aqua softly spoke.

Eraqus ran down the stairs and caught up to his pupils, only after Terra had Aqua on his back however. "Terra," Eraqus's voice filled with concern, "What did you do?"

"I-" Terra started, but Aqua interrupted.

"I wasn't good enough to fight him," Aqua pointed at her shoulder that was still hanging over Terra's own shoulders.

Eraqus sighed and put his fingers in between his creased brows. What would he do with these two? Plus, to do that much damage with just a wooden weapon and at such a young age? Eraqus was both impressed and terrified. Eraqus walked over to behind Terra and grabbed Aqua from his grasp, putting her on his own back. "Terra, I am going to take care of Aqua. Take this as a lesson – you have great strength, but you must learn to control it. What would have happened if you were more careless and really hurt Aqua – even more than you did?"

Terra scowled. He didn't want to think about it.

"Please don't scold Terra, Master," Aqua's tiny voice spoke.

"Aqua, he must understand the consequences of his actions. How can one be a master if they do not grasp that?"

"He shouldn't have to spar with someone as weak as my-"

"Aqua," Terra spoke up. He then bowed toward Eraqus. "I forgot Aqua is a year younger and lost control. I will accept my punishment. Just…" Terra stood straight back up and stared directly at Aqua's big eyes. "Sorry Aqua." In this moment, Aqua saw a slight blurred vision of what appeared to be a silver-haired Terra. Aqua blinked and rubbed her eyes, and when she opened them, Terra stared at her with is sincere, normal, stare.

Eraqus sighed. How Terra felt about this was genuine, but he still needed consequences. "For the next month, you are on cleaning duty Terra. That way, Aqua will be fully rested and able to train." Terra's eyes lit up. Cleaning duty wasn't great, but he was certain his Master could have had delivered a harsher punishment.

After this incident, Aqua vowed to be more focused and observant, to protect herself and others. Terra vowed to learn to control his strength so he wouldn't hurt the ones he cared for. However, that small vision she witnessed of a silver haired Terra bothered Aqua. Was it of danger to come, or was it just her blurry eyes stained with tears playing tricks on her? Aqua kept her vision to herself, so as to not trouble Terra or her Master.


	2. Chapter 2 - Door

_ I would sneak off to help you clean, but then get caught by Master and was told to go study more. Those were the days, when everything was so simple and gentle. Where did everything go wrong? We stayed by each other, helped each other in hard times, and even began to grow comfortable. This was home. Were you my brother? Back then, I thought that we had this wonderful little family, but that closeness and comfort grew to be something more. Those feelings I had were stronger than familial love –when you were 15 and I, 14? I remember that day like it was yesterday. That was the first day I felt so close, and the first time I thought that closeness might be taken from me._

Aqua stood in the middle of a pathway, looking down on the ground and holding her hand to her heart, remembering the first time she felt something more than familial love.

* * *

Sunshine creeped through the windows, so bright that not even the curtains could block it. The sparkle of blue was blocked by a fair-skinned arm, but that body soon shot up from the blankets. Shock and tiredness swept the girl's face. She wasn't even in her pajamas – was she that worn out from yesterday's training? Then she realized how late it was – the sun never hit her so directly when she slept. Usually Eraqus woke her up if she slept in, so where was he? She stepped out of bed and ran out of her room to go down to the main hall, where Eraqus usually resided. She did not find who she was looking for, but there was a lone figure in the hall swinging a giant key while making grunts.

Terra.

Aqua stayed and hid behind the wall and stared as he practiced his swings. Horizontal, vertical, diagonal, any kind of swing she could think of he performed with ease and vitality. He truly was a warrior of strength and endurance, and even though he seemed to be covered in sweat, he still glistened magnificently in the light shining on him through the stained glass. Aqua was mesmerized; she couldn't keep her eyes off him.

Perhaps she had started noticing little things about him ever since their incident a month ago where they accidentally kissed. Ever since then, they both started to act like two love-sick teenagers when together, but they tried their best to hide it in front of Eraqus, or when they were beating the living daylights out of each other during sparring matches. They did very well in concealing their feelings, but occasionally instances like this would happen. This wasn't the first time Aqua stared at Terra without him knowing, and unbeknownst to her, he would occasionally do the same to her. Sometimes she would take nightly strolls when she should be asleep and practice at night on the sparring swings. Terra would go to the vacant room that watched the summit just to gaze upon her form. He wouldn't admit that he just wanted to watch her, but that's exactly what it was.

Thinking back on everything in the past month, Aqua lost herself in her thoughts. So many emotions, thoughts, and feelings had consumed her in that much time, that she wasn't sure what was happening to her. She was trapped so much that she didn't even realize that Terra had stopped swinging.

"I know you're there," his voice broke the silence. When was it that his voice had become so husky and masculine? She was used to the both of them being children and that comfort forever staying, but somewhere along the line, Terra became something more than a young child; he was slowly becoming a very capable man.

Aqua sighed and stepped out from behind the wall, sheepishly holding her arm in a shy manner. What happened next shocked her – he started laughing!

Red covered her face and she pouted, placing her hands on her hips. No words were necessary – he knew that look perfectly. "Did you just wake up? Your hair is all over the place!" Terra pointed as he made his Keyblade disappear.

Shock covering her expression, Aqua quickly calmed her hair down with her hands, trying to tame it. Apparently she wasn't doing a good enough job, because Terra had to walk closer to her and took over in taming her hair. She dropped her hands in defeat. However, when he was done fixing her hair, he kept one hand on her head and just stayed there, in silence.

They both stood, trying to think of what to say next. This shouldn't have been that hard, Aqua thought, after all she grew up with this boy.

After a few moments of silence, Aqua began to speak, "Where's the Master?" She broke the moment.

Terra sighed and released his hold on her head, scratching behind his head. "He was gone when I woke up earlier, but I think I overheard him talking to someone last night. He said he had to go visit an 'old friend.' Whatever that meant." Terra shyly looked over toward Aqua. "So, sleepy head, we have the place to ourselves."

Aqua's mind went completely the wrong direction and her face turned a bright red. She started waving her hands in front of her, flustered. "N,no no no, I don't want to do anything. It's nice and quiet and I think I need to study more, I mean in a couple of years we'll both be candidates right?"

Terra cocked an eyebrow. What the hell was she talking about? "What are you getting at, Aqua? I was just making a statement about how this place is ours for the day. Didn't you always want to go explore the roof or maybe… Master's room?" He was seriously lost, but the comment of Eraqus's room made Aqua even more flustered.

"Not Master's room! That's just wrong Terra! I… I will go to the roof myself!" Aqua sighed and turned around, Terra still very confused.

He grabbed her arm, shocking her, but she refused to look at him. "Then I will go with you! Come on, I wanted to see it as much as you!"

"I…" Aqua sighed. She soon realized she took everything Terra was saying wrong – he probably didn't even realize what came out of his mouth. She succumbed. "Okay then. Let's just hope Master doesn't come home… He would be furious if he saw two grown teenagers playing like children on the roof."

Terra smirked and pulled his arms around Aqua, sending chills down her spine. "That's what makes it so fun."

_That little mischievous man_, Aqua thought to herself as she pulled away from his grasp. She turned around and teasingly put her hands behind her back, leaning forward to tease Terra. "Okay, Terra. Let's make things a little more interesting. Let's split up and the first one to the roof is the winner."

Terra smirked cockily and placed a single hand on his hip. "Oh? And what's the prize? Being Master for a day?"

Aqua stood straight up and placed a hand to her chin, deep in thought. "Perhaps. But let's add something more; whoever loses also has to do the other's chores for that day, wearing whatever the winner chooses."

Terra sighed. What a weird girl. "Great, you're going to make me wear something frilly."

Aqua stuck her tongue out, teasingly. "You better win if you don't want to find out then." After that she ran toward the wall which harbored a staircase toward the basement. She presumed Terra went the other way, probably trying to climb his way to the top.

"You have to go down to go up," Aqua spoke to herself as she trailed the stairs down. She actually never explored the basement before – she only used it to wash clothes, since there was a little bit of a stream of water that ran through it. Perhaps the basement was Eraqus's hiding spot. What kind of secrets could he hide down here? Aqua treaded through the basement and walked around the small stream and pond that she had used to normally wash clothing. She gently smiled fondly at the flowing water as she passed it. Their lives were rather simple in the grand scheme of things, weren't they? Although they were training to be guardians of light, they were both still very human.

Aqua could hear some rumbling upstairs – most likely Terra scrambling about trying to find his way to the roof. Aqua clenched her fists and was determined to beat Terra in this race. As she walked through the winding halls of the basement, she found a large, white door – one that she had never seen before. She walked past it, but then looked back at it again. Something about the door seemed off. She walked closer to the door, now realizing that a bright light was shimmering off of the object. Slowly, she placed a hand on the door and sudden visions shot through her. Aqua retracted her hand back and stared at the door. Darkness, a man with white hair that had a similar figure to Terra, and numerous worlds. What did those visions mean?

Aqua, stuck in her thoughts, stopped thinking about the race and ran through the basement – she would have to tell Terra about this. What did this door mean? Why did she see him?

As she figured earlier, she knew there would be a direct staircase that lead all the way up here in the basement. It was blocked off by a door that had "Do Not Enter" plastered all over it. The warnings were still nowhere near as ominous or uninviting as the white door she had passed earlier. She grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. Stairs. They lead all the way up. Aqua, forgetting about winning, was now more determined to find Terra to tell him about what was in the basement, and she ran up the stairs. After five flights of stairs, she slammed the top door open and shielded her eyes.

Light.

This was higher than she had ever been before and the light was more apparent than before. Aqua walked forward and took in the beauty of the scenery. However this breathtaking view only lasted a few seconds – Terra! She ran around the roof, looking for him, calling his name.

"Terra! Terra!" That vision she had shook her all up. Maybe she misinterpreted it, but to her it could only mean that Terra would be susceptible and taken over by the Darkness, and now she lost track of him. Even though Darkness couldn't touch The Land of Departure (at least it shouldn't have had any power here), the teenager's mind lost all rational thought when she realized Terra could be lost.

She circled around the roof – the places she could walk on were very limited, but it didn't seem like there were many spots for Terra to hide. "Terra! Come on – I know you have to be up here! Please… There's no way I won. I never win!" Aqua started to sound a bit frantic, but her heart stopped when she heard sounds from behind her.

"What's gotten you all shaken up?" From behind the blue-haired teen, a husky male jumped up from the roof and made a somewhat loud thud. Aqua slowly turned with wide-eyes. She really wanted to run and hug him, but her body froze. He was okay – she was the one that got worried. She never felt like that before: full of passion, rage, and loss of all rational thought. Had she been overtaken by Darkness and didn't know it? Terra walked closer to her, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, looks like you won," Terra shrugged and sighed in defeat. "What are you gonna make me wear?"

Aqua didn't even think about that – she was just glad that he was okay. But really, what did that door do to her, and what was it doing in their basement? She scowled and gently pushed Terra in anger. "I will have to look in my closet, but, Terra-"

He placed a hand on her shoulder. Ever since she got up to the roof, she had started acting a bit strange. "Everything is okay, Aqua. I'm here, right?"

She stared at him, wide-eyed, and it took every bit of strength to not burst out into tears. Seriously, what was wrong with her? She was never this emotionally weak before – perhaps it came with growing up. She sighed and stared out to the scenery, the grass greener than ever and the sun perfectly hitting it. Aqua debated on telling Terra about the door, but with the way he was now, she knew there was no way he would be consumed by Darkness, at least that's what she told herself. She sat down and pulled her legs closer to her, Terra following suit. "It's a really nice view," she spoke. Aqua stared out at the view, but Terra's eyes were on something entirely different.

"What happened?" Terra spoke, his eyes not leaving Aqua.

She lowered her head, the wind gently breezing through both of their hair. Still, she debated on whether or not she should tell him, but Aqua knew he wouldn't let it go. "There's a door in the basement, but it's not normal," she slowly began. This piqued Terra's interest.

She looked at him with pleading eyes. "Just, promise me, Terra, that you won't ever let the Darkness consume you." His eyes widened.

How did she know? There was no way she could have – but for a while, Terra himself had been noticing darkness surrounding him. Was it coming from the door, or from within? Terra shook his head and gently flicked Aqua's forehead. "I won't. But, you have to promise me the same. You won't ever let Darkness consume you either."

Aqua flinched and scowled. "Do you know who you're talking to? I wouldn't let Darkness come close to me, even if it tried." However, as of now, she felt as though that was exactly what was happening to her – the power of Darkness starting to slowly consume her. When she thought her comfort could be taken away, she lost everything that made her... her. The light slowly stripped from her very being, but she wouldn't tell him that. Terra smirked and looked on the view. It really was a beautiful sight to behold. Aqua sighed and smiled, holding her hand to her chest and looking on the same view. They were seeing the same thing. "Terra, in a couple of years we'll both be candidates for a Keyblade Master."

"Being a Keyblade Master is all I dreamed about," Terra said, confident in himself. Aqua gently smiled, yet somehow his words stung a little bit.

"Even if… I mean, not saying it will because no one deserves that title more than you, but if something were to happen and one of us doesn't get that title… nothing will change between us right?" Aqua looked down.

Terra stared, curiously at Aqua. He had to think about that, but after his thoughts, he finally spoke. "Nothing will change between us. We'll always be here, together. Master Eraqus, you, and I." Terra smiled and patted Aqua's head.

She stared at him. Slowly she smiled and leaned in toward him. Whatever this was, was right, and she knew it. Even if neither one of them passed, at least they stayed with each other, right? Slowly their lips touched, even though Terra was a bit shocked and nervous at the whole ordeal and he slowly backed up, yet Aqua still pursued him.

Before anything could go further, however, a low voice called toward them, angrily. "What are you two doing?" Aqua quickly moved away from Terra and stood up. Eraqus came back. Thankfully he couldn't see how red both of their faces were. Terra gently stood up and scratched the back of his head. Eraqus looked up with stern eyes. "I leave for a few hours in the morning and I come home to this..."

"Sorry Master," Terra spoke. "I was getting bored with the normal training grounds, so I climbed up here."

"... And I didn't trust him to be up here by himself," Aqua didn't like it, but she joined in on the lie. Of course Eraqus knew better, and the fact they were on the roof wasn't what he was referring to.

He sighed and continued to walk toward the entrance to the mansion. No words were needed to know what Eraqus was asking of both Aqua and Terra – they were to meet him in the main hall. As Eraqus walked in the mansion, both Aqua and Terra looked at each other and shrugged. They smiled, knowing that their Master was about to chew them out real good.

They both walked down to the bottom floor, heads hanging in shame, and soon stood in front of Eraqus. He gently pressed his fingers in between his brows, thinking of the right words to say next. After some minutes of pure silence, he finally spoke. "I understand that you two are now getting older, and probably experiencing some... things." Both Aqua and Terra looked at each other, then back at Eraqus. "However, you must make sure these," he cleared his throat, "_things_ don't interrupt your training."

Terra scratched his head. "Master, I'm... not sure I follow." Aqua lowered her head in embarrasment. She knew _exactly _what Eraqus meant.

Eraqus sighed. Terra was a naïve boy who only strived to be stronger; his only home was in the comfort of Eraqus and Aqua. Perhaps Terra didn't see anything unusual or wrong about the actions they did on the roof – to him, it was just more training.

"What were you two doing on the roof?" Eraqus spoke, bluntly.

"Looking at the view," Terra replied, so sure of his answer.

"And what else?" Eraqus raised an eyebrow, hoping for a better answer.

"It was my fault!" Aqua confessed, holding her hand to her chest and stepping forward. Both Terra and Eraqus looked at her, expressions full of confusion. "I... always talked about going on top of the roof and now that we had the chance to, we took it... And I..." Face red, she looked at Terra. Gulping, she suddenly clasped her hand with Terra's, causing him to be more surprised. Aqua turned to face Eraqus, but Terra kept his eyes on Aqua. "I pushed myself on him!"

Both Eraqus and Terra's eyes widened. Never would he hear those words come from Aqua, especially at this age.

"Wha... what?" Terra finally let out and released his hand from her grip, scratching the back of his head.

Aqua sighed and bowed. "I understand my behavior was unacceptable for a Master to be, and I will accept any punishment. I should have known better than-"

"Aqua," Eraqus's voice was stern but sincere. She looked up, seeing Eraqus a bit closer to her. "I'm not stopping either of you. Just be careful that you don't let those emotions control you – protect that light, but don't succumb to passion. That can lead to anger, which can lead to rage, which will allow even the purest of hearts to be overcome by darkness."

Aqua straightened herself up, eyes wide. Terra looked between the two of them; he wasn't really sure what Eraqus meant, but he knew it was important. Had Aqua done something bad? He wasn't sure, but Terra didn't think that Eraqus was scolding her. However, that rage Eraqus spoke of- was that what Aqua had felt earlier? She looked over at Terra, and then back at Eraqus. She quietly spoke, trying to make sure Terra didn't hear her.

"Master, what should I do if I feel like the Darkness is close?" Aqua spoke, which only alarmed Eraqus.

He grabbed her shoulders, shocking both her and Terra. "Aqua... what happened? Did Terra do anything?"

She shook her head, "No...wait, Terra?"

Eraqus gently let go of her and sighed. He leaned closer, "I know he's been so into gaining power that that sometimes leads to turning to dark thoughts for that power. I have been monitoring him and trying to keep it in check. Just... if you've noticed it too-"

"I meant myself," Aqua interrupted her master, and Terra must have heard this part since he seemed to perk up. What were they talking about?

"Yourself?" Eraqus questioned.

Aqua held her hand to her chest. "I admit, earlier, I thought maybe the darkness had taken Terra – I became frantic. I lost myself to my emotions and my thoughts, and I think I was almost overcome by darkness itself."

Eraqus raised an eyebrow in question. "You had passion because you thought one you loved was lost. If you lost yourself to your thoughts, you may have succumbed to a certain darkness but..." Eraqus shook his head, making sure Terra didn't listen. "Aqua, I know you will never be taken by darkness. Your light is too strong. What you felt was passion, but not rage. While too much passion could drive you to darkness, I know you will overcome it. Everyone has a little bit of darkness, yet most never see it. That's the strength of one's heart, and yours is bigger than any I've seen."

Aqua stood and listened. How could Eraqus have been so sure? Yet, she couldn't help but trust his every word. "I understand Master. If something like that happens again, I will only listen to my heart. My mind and body will react accordingly, right?"

Eraqus nodded and patted Aqua's head. "If anyone can overcome the darkness, it's the both of you." He smiled and looked back at Terra. "Now then, since you both decided to take a break today and slack in your training, you will spend the rest of the evening in here." Terra sighed and Aqua shrugged. Sometimes the Master was a bit harsh. Eraqus smiled and stepped to the side, persumably going to go to his room. "However, I will treat you both to a fine meal tonight. To celebrate our little family." Eraqus smirked as he walked out.

Terra stepped closer to Aqua, "Sometimes the Master just doesn't make sense."

Aqua looked over and gave him a small smile. "Hey, Terra."

"Hmmm?"

"We'll help each other, right? Overcome our own darkness."

"I'll help you and you'll help me. I know it," Terra flicked Aqua's forehead again. "Though I don't think _you _have to worry about that. There's no way darkness is getting inside there."

Aqua waved her hands in front of her face, swatting Terra away. Both Eraqus and Terra said it; Aqua wasn't susceptible to Darkness. How could she be? Her heart was too pure. Yet, she knew that she could become overtaken by the Darkness just as much as Terra – she was only human. Aqua vowed to never let that happen though; not to her, not to Terra, not to Eraqus. Not after the emotional roller coaster she went through that day – she knew she could calm the darkness within her, and if she could, then so could Terra. She had faith in him, and would help him along the way.

As long as he would let her.


	3. Chapter 3 - Friendship

_Both you and I were battling the same thing; our most inner darkness. Yet I wouldn't tell you about my journey – is that where I went wrong? To me, you were my light, so every time a dark thought warped my mind, I thought of you. I wonder- was I ever the same for you?_

_ Not even a month later, something happened that would change our lives forever; the first day our family became whole. However, it was also the mark of us stopping to see each other the same way. Don't get me wrong; I don't blame Ven. I could never blame him for anything. But back then, the tension between all of us overwhelmed me and it nearly crushed me. I never told you, but that moment you turned me down hurt me more than any darkness could. However, just being by yours and Ven's side kept me going. I realized quickly that whatever our circumstances, we would always be a family._

Aqua had stopped walking and had finally sat next to what appeared to be a rock. Her legs were pulled in, closer to her, and she had her head buried in her lap. Her arms lingered over her legs, and in her petite hands, a speck of blue shimmered. Her wayfinder – the only key left to believing in Terra and Ventus. She recalled her most vivid memories, most of them involving her relationship with Terra, and she couldn't help but both smile and feel a little bit of a tear rolling down her cheek. Memories were funny, weren't they? Things she knew she kept in her heart and could recall if she wanted to, but she knew it was better to keep them in her heart, kept on popping up. She read about this, about when a person was going to die soon – their life flashes before their eyes. Thinking about all her memories and this train of thought, Aqua couldn't stop her tears from coming, thinking back on the day Terra unknowingly rejected her feelings.

* * *

Sparkling sun shone through the window on a blonde boy's head. He slowly rose, stretching and yawning. Sleepy-eyed, the boy peeked through his window and saw a blue-haired girl and a husky brown-haired boy facing each other. Smiling, the young blonde boy jumped up from the bed to run toward his two friends.

Ventus had arrived at The Land of Departure a year ago, and back then he could barely talk, let alone remember anything. Slowly, he started to remember bits and pieces. He became great friends with Terra and Aqua, however, and the three were practically inseparable. Aqua and Terra had already started to spar with one another by the time Ventus arrived.

"Aw man, why didn't you guys wake me up?" Ventus's squeaky voice interrupted their fight. Terra smirked toward the younger boy and, without warning, tossed him a wooden keyblade. Ventus scrambled to catch it and readied himself.

"Did you want to spar too, Ven?" Terra smiled.

"Hey now, we still have to see who's the real winner," Aqua butted in, smiling at the two boys.

Ventus grinned, "How many times did you guys fight?"

"Four," Terra and Aqua replied at the same time.

"And how many times did each of you win?"

"Two and two," Aqua replied, confidently.

Terra shrugged, "She says that, but I still think the last round doesn't count. It was pretty even."

Aqua pointed a demanding finger at Terra. "But _you _stopped the match, forfeiting. So I won that one."

Ventus chuckled at the exchange. "Why don't you two fight one last time and I'll be the judge. Winner gets to spar with me."

Terra and Aqua nodded at each other and started walking apart. When they were a fair distance apart from another, they faced each other, both readying themselves to fight. "Are you ready to lose?" Terra barked, a bit egotistically.

"You shouldn't talk to yourself," Aqua smirked. The two charged at each other at just about the same speed and their keyblades clashed with one another. Terra pushed Aqua back, but she was able to gracefully stand her ground. She stood still, focusing all her energy and attacks on one single point – she was going to cast magic on Terra. As soon as he realized that she wasn't budging, he ran toward her, but he was too late. Bursts of water came splashing toward Terra and most hit him. He panted, struggling to recover, only to see Aqua running toward him.

Clang.

The two keyblades clashed with one another, but Terra was able to catch Aqua off focus and knock her down. Her keyblade flew out of her hand and she landed on her bottom. When she looked up she saw the tip of Terra's keyblade at her throat. Checkmate. He wasn't playing around this time; he intently stared at her with cold eyes, and all she could think about was how handsome he looked. Handsome and scary.

Then her eyes played tricks on her; a flash of a man with silver hair. Her eyes widened and she shook her head, rubbing her eyes shut. When she opened them, Terra had leaned down and dropped his keyblade, hoping to pick her back up. Aqua slightly shrugged his helping hand away and slowly stood up herself, brushing off the dirt from the ground. "Well," she spoke, "looks like you won this time Terra." Aqua smiled and walked past him, gently patting his shoulder as she walked by, causing him to turn and look at her curiously as she walked by.

"Barely," he spoke. He followed the blue-haired girl toward the mansion, smiling at Ventus as he passed. "Ven, we will spar in a minute."

Ventus, an innocent grin on his face, placed his hands behind his head and smirked. "Sure Terra. Take your time."

Terra nodded and ran after Aqua. When did she become so strong and focused? He knew she always had the brains, but she never did so well in sparring matches with him before. Tactics and magic training, sure, but sparring was always Terra's forte. In the recent months, the two of them would sneak off and practice sparring, which always resulted in interesting intimate moments, but was that where her strength came from? Terra wasn't sure. "Hey Aqua," he spoke, stopping her in her tracks. She didn't turn around. "I was… really impressed out there. Have you been studying more?"

Aqua placed her hand to her chest and sighed, turning around to look at Terra. "Actually, I took a lot of notes in the past year, watching you fight, and every time we sparred." Terra's eyes widened.

"You… paid attention to me that much?" When he said it like that, it was embarrassing. Aqua, face completely red, covered her mouth with her hand, making sure her words were placed carefully. What did those intimate sparring matches mean to Terra, exactly? Were they just that, sparring matches in which the two would be so close that they could practically kiss another? Aqua sighed and stepped closer to Terra and leaned up toward him, only making Terra step back slightly. "Aqua," he spoke, quietly.

She stopped, feeling foolish. "What's wrong, Terra?"

Terra scratched his head. "I wanted to tell you earlier, but I wasn't sure how to say it. I'm not sure what all this emotion is, but it..." Terra placed a hand on his hip, lost in thought. "I am a little bit uncomfortable when we get this close."

Aqua frowned and placed her hands on her hips. What was he talking about? He didn't seem that concerned during their spar matches, but maybe that was the issue. Terra was never the best at expressing himself, and when he and Aqua had begun their... _whatever_ it was they started, he always seemed to enjoy himself.

Or was that all part of his training? Aqua lowered her hands and sighed. Maybe everything she thought they were and could be was all in her head. "I'm sorry Terra. I didn't mean... I guess I overstepped myself."

Terra sighed. She looked really sad – what did he do now? He wasn't sure; he just thought she should know. "Hey hey hey Aqua. What's up with you? You didn't overstep anything, I just thought you should know how I felt during training. Getting too close is just..."

Aqua smiled, yet it was the most depressing smile Terra had ever seen on the girl's face. He really messed up and he wasn't sure why. He tried to place on her shoulder but she just stepped back, avoiding him. "Uncomfortable? Okay, I'll be sure to be aware of my distance."

Her tone seemed sincere, but there was a little bit more of a harsh undertone in her words. Terra paid no mind to this though, thinking it was only his imagination. "Thanks, Aqua. I want to spend more time with training Ven, and I think becoming more focused on my training is better for us." Terra genuinely smiled and nearly tore Aqua apart.

Aqua nodded and held a hand to her chest. "You're right, Terra. I don't know what I was thinking; our primary focus is to become Masters after all. That, and to help Ven." Aqua smiled, took a step back, and clasped her hands behind her back. "Let's make sure to keep on training. So we don't upset Master."

Terra nodded and reached over to pat Aqua on the head. This time she let him, even though his touch tore her apart; she would be damned if she let him see her feelings though. "Thanks Aqua. We'll always be together. You, me, and Ven." Terra smiled and ran toward Ven.

His words sounded comforting, but he had no idea the damage he did to her. Aqua sighed and drooped her head, walking back into the mansion. Eraqus was not in the main hall (which he usually would be, but perhaps he stayed in his room for a reason). Aqua, for once, was thankful to see that he was nowhere to be found. So many thoughts consumed her at the moment; the vision of the silver haired boy, Terra's blatant denial (although he did not see it that way), the training. She roamed the main hall and found her way to the basement, where about a year ago she had happened upon a mysterious white door. Trying to find answers and needing something to get her mind off of, well, everything, she walked to the basement.

Slowly stepping over the stream that was used to wash clothes and walking toward the inner depths of the mansion's basement, Aqua stopped once she witnessed upon the white door. Something told her to stay away from it, but she decided to ignore her inner thoughts. Aqua took small steps toward the shining white door, hoping to find answers to her visions. She reached out and touched a finger to the door. Once she touched it, ripples of light spread through the door and slowly it opened, revealing nothing but a bright light.

_You are not the one to open the door..._

A voice that sounded a little bit like Terra, but a little huskier, sounded through, Aqua's eyes widening.

_Who are you?_

"Aqua, keyblade apprentice under Master Eraqus," she called out, not knowing who she was responding to. Silence. Then, random noises started sounding through, mumbling words that Aqua did not recognize, and light nearly enveloped her.

"How did you get here?" A husky voice broke everything, and before Aqua realized it, the light had vanished and so had the door. The force of everything disappearing caused Aqua to fall back in the stream, but the water hardly phased her. Blinded by the light, she slowly opened her eyes to see who came to her.

Eraqus, with his keyblade in hand, stood in front of Aqua. Particles of light were seen dissipating where the door once was, and once he was sure everything was safe, he willed his keyblade away. He turned around toward Aqua, concern in his face as he leaned in closer to her. Her eyes did not waver, yet they were full of fear. "Aqua, what did you see?"

She couldn't speak. The voice, the light, what was all of that?

"Aqua!" Eraqus raised his voice, which somewhat knocked her out of her trance.

"I saw light, and a deep voice was calling through. Master, what was that door?" Never before had Eraqus heard Aqua's voice quiver so much; it pained him to hear it.

Eraqus sighed, "Despite its looks, it was a doorway to darkness. But why was it here?" Eraqus stood straight up and stroked his chin in thought.

"I..." Aqua began, making Eraqus look at her. "I may have called it here on accident."

"Because of your feelings for Terra?"

Eraqus was sneaky, wasn't he? Aqua nodded. "Not just that, but the fact that he-"

Eraqus shook his head, "Whether you have that inner darkness or not isn't the issue; this pathway should have not been allowed here. You, of all keyblade wielders, are not one to falter."

Aqua pulled her legs closer to herself, still drenched in the water. "You're right, Master, but if it wasn't called because of me, then why was it here?"

Eraqus thought to himself, "It couldn't have been... no..." He shook his head and turned around, crossing his arms. "Could Xehanort even have that power?"

Xehanort? Aqua straightened her legs and crouched – what did Xehanort have to do with this? She only remembered him the day he brought Ventus to them, and he seemed like a decent person. "Master-"

Aqua's voice was stopped by a squeaky voice. "Aqua!" Out of nowhere, the blonde boy jumped and wrapped his arms around Aqua's shoulders, which also resulted him in getting wet.

"V-Ven? What are you doing here?"

Ventus smiled. "We finished sparring and came to join you, but we couldn't find you. Then we saw Master Eraqus walking down here..." his voice trailed off as soon as he noticed Eraqus in thought. "Anyway, we were worried, Aqua!"

Aqua smiled and gently let Ventus go, slowly standing up and helping Ventus stand up. He clasped his arms around her waist again, not letting go of her.

"Am I too late?" Terra walked down the stairs and smirked, joining Ventus and Aqua. Terra wrapped his arms around the both of them, smiling.

Despite her own feelings and whether or not Terra reciprocated them, Aqua couldn't feel better than she did at this moment. Maybe love wouldn't happen, but the love the three of them shared at this moment was stronger than anything she could imagine. Stronger than any darkness. Right here, with Ventus and Terra, was where she belonged.

Terra and Ventus gently let go of Aqua and smiled. "Alright Ven, you and Aqua should probably get changed. I'll cook something for lunch."

"You, cook?" Aqua smirked. Her attitude was back to normal, and Terra couldn't help but smile at this.

"That's right, so deal with it," Terra flicked her head and the three began laughing. Despite how she felt just moments ago, this was right.

Terra and Ventus walked up the basement stairs, while Aqua had started to follow, until Eraqus stopped her.

"Aqua," his voice stern.

"Master?"

"I know for the past year you had been battling whatever darkness you found within yourself," Eraqus sighed, "However, I think you've found the light you've been looking for all along."

Aqua smiled and nodded. "It's always been there, Master."

"I'm not talking about Terra. I mean, within you." Aqua tilted her head, confused. "Never before had I seen someone radiate with such a pure light than I did in that moment – that determination to protect your friends, to stay with them. You don't have to worry about fighting the darkness again – trust me on that. And with your light, I have high hope for Terra."

Aqua's eyes lightened at this – her light was with the desire to protect those she cared about, and that was a light that wasn't about to die out. Whatever feelings the three had for one another, as long as they could all be together; that was good enough for her.


	4. Chapter 4 - Dreams and Promises

_Everything that happened in that year happened for a reason. I finally found my light, even if the feelings weren't reflected back, I knew with you and Ven by my side, there was nothing that could stop me. We kept on training and going on. Everything seemed perfect, and two days before the Mark of Mastery Exam, I never felt happier in my life. I wonder if you remember that day as fondly as I do. _

Still clenching her wayfinder tightly, Aqua gently lifted her head up, the tears still coming down. Maybe she finally came to the realization that she was alone. She stared down at the wayfinder, hoping it would give her some kind of answer. Delusional, her memories continued to creep up on her. Were they trying to give her an answer, or was it really just a flash of life before she checked out?

* * *

Two days before the Mark of Mastery Exam. Two days before their dream realized. Two days before their lives would be changed forever. Aqua had been holed up in her room pretty much the whole day, except to eat. While Eraqus didn't show much concern of it, Terra and Ventus couldn't help but feel they did something wrong. Or that she was nervous, or mad, or a number of things, but every time either one of these boys would try to talk to her, she would either not answer, yell at them, or open the door and threaten to use magic on them. Eraqus told them both that women are complicated creatures and she had a lot on her mind, but both Terra and Ventus just didn't like that reason.

Later in the evening, when Ventus had already gone to sleep and Eraqus retired in his room, Terra snuck through the halls and gently knocked on Aqua's door. A little over a day before the Mark of Mastery Exam – he didn't like the fact that she was acting so secluded.

"Aren't you asleep?" The voice from the other side of the door called back.

Terra sighed. "If I was, I wouldn't be knocking on your door."

He could hear some rumbling in the room, but she still wasn't answering. Terra sighed and started fumbling the door knob. Then, he remember something. While he knew he shouldn't do it, he was determined to make sure Aqua was okay. He summoned his keyblade and pointed it at the door, unlocking it. Gently he opened it, making sure to look down just in case he accidentally stumbled onto something he shouldn't have. He heard some rustling and could feel a gaze on him. He slowly looked up and noticed Aqua's pleading eyes at him and that she was covering something with her hands. A book?

"Did… did you just _unlock _my door? That's cheating Terra!"

Terra shrugged. "It's not a test." He placed a curious hand under his chin. "So you've just been studying this whole time?"

Aqua lowered her head and slightly blush. Nothing that glorious – no, she was studying something, but nothing to do with being a Keyblade Master. She slightly moved her hand and a small picture of a star shaped fruit could be seen, but Terra couldn't get a good image of it. "Y-yeah, sort of. Anyway, shouldn't you be getting to sleep? It's getting late."

Terra leaned back on the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "Same could be said to you." He glanced over at the desk that Aqua was clearly trying to hide. "Are you writing love letters?"

Aqua stood up, now even redder, and pouted. "Nothing of the sort. Why are you here anyway?"

Terra sighed. "Ven was worried about you." He couldn't even admit to him being the one worried.

"So what about you?"

Terra scratched behind his head. "Ven wore himself out, so I told him I would check on you for him. You're as welcoming as ever." There was clear sarcasm in his voice, which only irritated Aqua even more.

Aqua sighed and lowered her guard. "I am okay, Terra. I just wanted to get a little more studying done…" She scratched the back of her head, in slight embarrassment. "I guess I overworked myself."

"Let's go on the roof," Terra's demand took Aqua by surprise. She stared at him, wide-eyed. He unfolded his unwelcoming stance and offered a hand toward her. "You've been cooped up in here, nose in the books, all day. Maybe some fresh air and a sparring match will help loosen you up."

Was it that obvious that she was tense? Her tense attitude was more because Terra rudely came into her room, but perhaps some fresh air would be nice. Plus, beating Terra up sounded pretty pleasing at the moment. Aqua nodded and walked past Terra's hand, completely ignoring the kind gesture he was offering. Stunned, he turned around to see her walking out the door. "I take that as a yes?" He spoke.

"Yeah, I could use some exercise," Even though she hadn't turned around, Terra could hear in her voice that her mood had brightened up since he entered the room. He followed her and gently closed her door, though his curiosity let him wonder _what _exactly she was doing in there; he knew better than to bring it up again though.

Aqua lead him through the path she went to reach the roof on that momentous day four years ago. However, the door had disappeared the day Eraqus stopped Aqua from entering it. She couldn't show Terra the door, which was just fine; the temptation to Darkness probably would have been too great. When they both passed where the door used to be, Aqua stopped in her tracks to gaze upon it. Terra simply walked past her, only to realize that he was the one now doing the leading. After heading a few steps in front of her, he stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. Aqua's eyes caught on the empty space before her that used to harbor the door. Her eyes slowly turned their gaze toward Terra, whose eyes were focused on her, and in a flash a vision appeared before her. Terra's body shifted that from his own to the man with silver hair Aqua kept seeing over and over. She blinked and shook her head, rubbing her eyes on her sleeve.

"…qua. Aqua." She opened her eyes and saw the husky man peering over her, holding her hand in his own. The air felt cooler now. Then she realized – the two of them were outside, on the roof.

She stared blankly into Terra's sincere eyes and slowly let him help her up. They stood parallel to each other, each staring the other down, until they both realized they had the other's hand. The two quickly released each other and turned away from another, slight hues of red painting both of their faces.

Terra scratched the back of his head. "You blacked out back there. I wasn't sure where we were going, but I figured the door that said 'Do Not Enter' was probably a good sign."

Aqua sighed. Usually such a warning would _not _be a good sign, but this time Terra had been right. She held her hand close to her chest. "I… blacked out?"

"Yeah. You scared me back there."

"Sorry," was all she mustered out from under her breath. The vision of the silver-haired Terra she saw scared her, and maybe she was just a bit more worn-out than normal. She took a couple steps backward until her back hit Terra's own back, and she forcibly snatched his hand in her own, shocking Terra. Aqua kept her other hand close to her chest, lowered her head, and closed her eyes. "The breeze feels nice."

"Yeah," Terra gently spoke. He raised his head a bit higher than normal and kept his eyes open on the clear, starry sky. "All those worlds, and we'll be the ones to maintain order on them. In just one day…" Terra's voice trailed off.

"Terra," Aqua's gentle voice send chills down his spine. "Do you still have the same dream?"

"Becoming a Keyblade Master is all I've dreamt about. Aren't you the same, Aqua?" Terra gently turned his head so that he could at least somewhat peak through and see that blue bob of hair.

She nodded, feeling Terra's slight gaze on her head. "I have another dream though." Terra's grip on Aqua's hand tightened, piquing his curiosity. "I want Ven, you, and I to always be together – to always be a team. Even if it isn't our time to become a Keyblade Master, if the three of us are together, anything is possible."

Aqua poured her heart out, but was just left with silence. She felt Terra's gaze pierce through the back of her head, but no words. Again, she felt rejected by this same boy, the person she spent her life with, her family, but this rejection she felt consumed her. She slowly opened her eyes and released her hand from Terra's grasp and held it close to her chest with her other hand. Two strong hands placed themselves on her shoulders and turned her around, her eyes still looking down. Slowly, the deep blue met their gaze with the sincere deep stare surrounded by brown. Starlight glinted in both pairs of eyes, reflecting their inner thoughts.

"We'll always be a team, no matter what," Terra spoke and Aqua knew those words came straight from the heart. The intimate grasp between the two lasted as they stared through their own endless pools reflecting various shooting stars and the night sky. Aqua leaned forward, lifting her own feet and closing in toward Terra. Her lips did not meet his own, however he had wrapped his arms around her, providing a more intimate position than she expected. He buried his head on her shoulder, making sure they were as close as could possibly be. "We will never be apart, so let's at least wait until we are both Masters."

They should have been words that broke her, but instead she smiled. Aqua had the same thought so the fact that her and Terra were speaking on equal terms could only mean that both of their inner darkness had faded. They were both going to be okay.

Footsteps broke the moment and the two broke their grip, standing far away from each other. A short bob of blonde opened a door that looked like it was just part of the wall decorating the roof and stared at his two older friends. He gently rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned. Both Aqua and Terra smiled at the boy. "Are you guys okay?" Ventus spoke.

The two nodded. Terra walked toward Ventus and patted him on the shoulder. "What made you come up here?"

The sleepy blue eyes looked up at what he considered his older brother. "I just… had a feeling. I woke up thinking you two were in trouble, but it must have been a dream."

Aqua was now in front of Ventus as well. "We're all right Ven. But, how did you know where we were?"

Ventus shook his head. "This is the spot we always go to together, right? When we sneak out, so I only figured when you two weren't in your rooms, there was only one other spot you could be."

"Well," Aqua stared at Terra. Her vision of the silver haired version of Terra had not crept up, which lead her to believe that after their hearts connected just moments before Ventus arrived, those visions would stop altogether. Even though this moment was simple, it proved that their lights were stronger than any darkness. "Since we're all up, do you want to spar?"

Terra shrugged and turned around, walking toward the edge of the roof, and stood facing the night sky. Aqua and Ventus looked toward each other and walked to Terra, both sitting on either side of him. The light slowly started to shine through the darkness of the night, reflecting beautifully on the three. Ventus stared at Aqua and then back up at Terra; Aqua's gaze mirrored Ventus's, and both pairs of eyes fell on Terra, who simply stared at the rising sun. The various colors of light overtaking the darkness.

One more day until the Mark of Mastery.

One more day until their fates would be forever changed.


	5. Chapter 5 - Victim

_We promised each other that no matter what happened, we would be together. When you failed and I became Master, everything changed. No… you always had that darkness inside you, but I was too blind to see it. Too into my own self that I thought you were perfect. Everyone has a light and a darkness – I thought you were able to keep it in check and I was the bad one. But I thought, after all of our promises, our lights extinguished the darkness. Were you battling it just as much as me and it didn't fully manifest until I had you cornered in the exam? Whatever the case, we should have trusted each other more. We made promises to be together, to keep our family, yet we only told each other our thoughts in vague feelings and references, hoping the other would know our suffering. After the Mastery Exam, my visions stopped. However, everything I feared turned into fruition – you became the thing I envisioned, against your will, but this outcome may have been prevented._

_ If only we trusted each other the way Ven trusted us. _

Aqua stood up and pocketed the wayfinder. Before her, a path of pure darkness laid out. The dark brown of the path was barely visible when plated against the pure black surrounding everything. She slowly picked her feet up and continued to walk the pathway; her long break was over. If her memories only meant that she was going to die soon, she might as well explore as much of this land as she could.

* * *

Ventus's body locked in the deepest part of the newly transformed Land of Departure, nothing but a pathway of neutrality leading to the world, Aqua set out to find the last remaining part of their team. _We'll always be together._ She told herself while heading toward Radiant Gardens. Terra's voice lead her there and there she would go to free him.

The courtyard area, usually the center of town that was filled with people. Only a sole figure stood in the center of the area – silver haired and muscular. Aqua slowly approached the man, but it was exactly as she feared – he was Terra, but was not at the same time. "Terra?" She gently spoke.

His eyes opened slowly, revealing amber eyes that pierced through. She stepped back, ready to summon her keyblade if she could not reach through to him. Aqua stepped back as Terra (not Terra to be exact) reached for her. The gentle touch soon turned into a forceful grab on her neck and lifted her up. "Who…am I?" the husky voice spoke. Much different from Terra's normal voice, and much more frightening.

Aqua gasped, slowly grabbing his arms in an attempt to free herself. "Such a terrible… darkness… Fight it. Terra, Please!"

The man's eyes radiated darkness, but slowly they started flickering to a sincere blue. "Terra, you say?" His eyes widened and he let go of Aqua to hold his own head. Aqua sat on the ground, coughing and catching her own breath. She then stood up and cautiously approached the silver-haired men. Still cautious, Aqua placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, but her hand was smacked away. Terra's body stood up straight and gently his eyes opened, now completely amber and full of hatred; a smirk painted with evil smeared across his face. "Terra's heart has been extinguished – smothered by the darkness within him!"

Aqua summoned her keyblade. "My name is Master Aqua. Now return my friend's heart or pay the price!"

This escalated in a fierce battle between two friends, who had more or less loved each other, but due to unforeseen circumstances were now at the mercy of one another's blade. Aqua did not falter: keyblade clashing with keyblade, magic spraying about the gardens in a furious attempt to free Terra's heart from the darkness. Worn out from the ongoing battle with Aqua, Terra's body panted. She stared him down, realizing that they had both worn themselves out.

Just like the good ol' days. Just like when they sparred. Once again, they were nearly evenly matched, but Aqua had the upper hand in endurance and focus.

Not able to stand any longer, Terra fell on his back, slowly being swallowed by swarms of darkness, his body gently fell into a dark abyss.

Her fear turned for the worst – right before her very eyes Terra had been taken by the Darkness. No thought, no time to process, just pure will of heart, Aqua put her armor on and chased after Terra. The portal to the Light realm began to slowly disappear, and if she didn't catch Terra in time, she knew they would both be lost to the darkness.

The rage and love she felt at this moment was not because she was a victim of darkness- she became a victim of her own heart. She handed Terra her keyblade and with that, her armor transferred to him. Her armor held itself tightly to the muscular man and Aqua still held his hand tightly. She didn't want to let go, but if she didn't, then both her and Terra would be lost forever. Aqua came to find Terra to save him, and that is exactly what she would do. Her face closer to Terra's, she smiled as she spoke the last words she ever would to him. Would they reach him? Aqua had no choice but to trust in her friend.

"I'm with you," She spoke and gently let go of Terra's body. "Go!" She called forth, summoning the last of her energy and magic she had at the time to send Terra back to the light realm. As the light realm portal closed, she gave up trying to float amongst the black. Her body gently drifted down into a dark abyss.

_Ven, I'm sorry… I might not make it back as soon as I thought. But I promise I'll be there, one day, to wake you up. When I succumbed myself to my own heart, I sacrificed everything so that you and Terra could be safe. Terra, please, just be safe, no matter where you are. One day, I will come back for you and Ven. _

Aqua's body slowly landed on solid ground and her eyes opened to gaze upon the darkness in which she was now a resident of.

_…Even if I don't make it back, as long as you two are safe, then that's all I can ask for. _

She gently closed her eyes and fell asleep here in the cold darkness. Now, all alone, she would roam the darkness becoming a victim to her own memory.


	6. Chapter 6 - Faith

Wandering aimlessly with no real direction or lead to go, the bob of blue sparkled amongst the otherwise dark atmosphere. She held her head in pain, her stomach growled, she became weak and exhausted with no solid substance to keep her going.

"How long have I been wandering down here?" She began talking to herself, roaming the curvy pathway that lead into nothing but black. Nowhere to go, no lead, no home, her friends were on the other side, hopefully alive and okay. Surely Terra would be able to be in control of his body by now and able to find Ventus.

"It feels like… I've been walking forever." Aqua sighed and stopped in her tracks. The path had widened and was surrounded by tall boulders. Nothing but black surround the path and the boulders, but the area was different than the areas she had been to before. If she were to die, this spot, this different spot, would be as good a place as any. Aqua held her hand to her heart and stared up, only to see tall creatures of pure darkness rising up. As she stared at her own doom peering over her, she closed her eyes for one final memory: The gathering.

* * *

Terra and Aqua met on the crossroads, taking their battle to Xehanort, but more importantly taking their own issues with one another to the front. Eraqus's passing, being struck down by Terra himself, Terra's downward spiral to succumbing to darkness. He knew what had happened, but every time it was too late. The darkness within him won.

"What else is darkness but hate and rage?" Aqua spoke, but they were not the words she meant.

_ I only said this because of the darkness I felt all those times before I became a Master. The fear of losing you; the fear of losing myself. Rage built up in me, and that became clear that I had become close to the darkness myself. I wanted you to see that, Terra, but my words did not communicate clearly. _

"You'll go astray again, Terra."

_Please, just tell me how I can help you, is what I really wanted to say. But instead of letting my heart do the talking, I used my mind again, because as a Master I didn't want to show that sign of weakness. One of us had to be strong to honor Master Eraqus's memory. If I had told you everything from before, about my struggle with the darkness, about my true feelings, could your downward spiral be prevented?_

* * *

She opened her eyes and peered at the creatures, her own ending staring directly toward her. She had visions of a possessed Terra ever since they were young, witnessed a door to what appeared to be the realm of darkness, yet only mentioned this door in passing, she battled her own darkness but ignored everyone else's around her – Aqua hid it well, but deep down she felt like the most selfish person ever. If she had shared her experiences with Eraqus or Terra, would things have been different? Building up her own guilt, Aqua felt that perhaps Terra and Ven were not okay. Terra's heart and body had been taken by Xehanort and Ven's heart had been damaged. With that gloom possessing Aqua's mind, she knew only one option was left: suicide.

_If you don't end me now, I will do the deed myself, _Aqua thought to herself as she stared up at the creatures. One raised what appeared to be a hand and swooped it down, attempting to aim straight for Aqua.

Light. Two waves of light struck down the creature. Aqua's eyes shot open as she stared at her two saviors. The waves of light spread through the creatures until they all vanished. A smile crept up on Aqua's lips, and she slightly chuckled, placing her hand just under her lips. "How long has it been since I last smiled?" She began giggling again, tears gently coming down her eyes as she pulled out her wayfinder. Ventus and Terra were still alive, and here they were helping her out. The lights faded but the light in Aqua's eyes and her heart had been revived.

"With you two watching over me, there's no way I can give up now," Aqua tied the wayfinder to her sash and flicked her wrist, summoning her late Master's keyblade in her hand. "My name is Master Aqua. Pupil of the late Master Eraqus. Faithful friend to Terra and Ventus." Her resolve now clear, her determination in hand, Aqua relished in her distant memories to make her journey all the more worthwhile.

"And now a resident of the darkness. I will find my way back home and stop Xehanort!"

Darkness and light exist to coexist, however through the teachings of Eraqus, Aqua knew that light should always prevail. But, here and now, the darkness couldn't have been too bad.

It harbored her and let her stay – If it took her a decade, Aqua would find her way out of the realm of darkness and back home to her friends. She would hope the knowledge she obtained here in the darkness could be used for other pupils of the keyblade, so that the balance could be proper once again.

Above all her determination and everything else, Aqua had faith in her two friends, and that alone was enough to drive her back to the path of light.


	7. Epilogue

_**Epilogue**_

"Forget this talk of doors and nonsense what have you. It is far too dangerous a task to support."

The cold words of the man who took him in resounded through. The only reason he had an interest in doors was from faint memories long ago. He couldn't remember much, but he knew someone very important to him had mentioned seeing a door a long time ago, but that friend didn't go into detail. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt that it was important – why didn't he pursue it even more? Would he have his full memory back?

The man in the black coat had traveled down a far spiral ramp to a locked door sealed with magic chains. Opened. He walked through and sat down on the lone chair facing a pile of broken metal tinted blue, and a rusty old keyblade next to it.

"It has been far too long, 'friend,'" The man spoke as he gazed upon the metal pieces. He took his hood off and the silver haired man (with hair now past his shoulders) smirked. His amber eyes flickered to a sincere blue as he gazed amongst the heap of metal.

"Te…rra…" A voice cracking through the metal could barely be heard.

"Is that… my true name?" The man lowered his head and shook it. Preposterous. He was Xehanort, who took Ansem's name, and now was the empty shell of a body from experiments gone awry and went by Xemnas. He ignored it though. He wanted to talk to this scrap metal – it was the only connection to his lost memories, and he knew whoever talked to him through the metal was special to him. "What… is your name?" He spoke, his eyes flickering between amber and blue.

"I… can't believe you… forgot. How… long… has it been…?" The scrap refuted back. "Okay… I will...give you a hint. Bl…ue."

What kind of hint was that? Xemnas sat in thought. Blue? Nothing hit home. But he knew, this person was the reason he was interested in doors to the light, doors to the heart, and other research involving hearts. "Stop toying with me. You are important to my plans, but I cannot even remember your face or name."

"That's cruel Te…rra…" The cracking became clearer. "We will… al…ways… be together… right? The charms… I ma…"

"Oy Aqua! Sometimes you can be such a girl!" Xemnas spoke, his voice more chipper than he's ever had before, and he then covered his mouth with his hands. What did he say? If the other organization members overheard that then… "Aqua?"

"Te…rra… I am… glad you… re…mem…" Static sounded through and the heap of metal slightly twitched. What happened on the other side? What happened in the realm of darkness where Aqua resided? Xemnas stood up, but nothing from Aqua's side.

"Terra, you say?" His eyes shifted to the cruel amber that resonated evil. "Dear friend, I will come see you again. I will make sure these visits will not be so… spread out between." As Xemnas turned around to leave his hidden chamber, he thought he might have heard a giggle on the other side.

The metal heap laughed, and through statics and cracking sounds, the leader of The Organization made out a few, lonely words.

"I…lo…ve…yo…u."


End file.
